


The Time(line) We Spent Together

by MarinetteAgresteBrand



Series: LadyNoir July 2020 [10]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Cuddling & Snuggling, Dreams vs. Reality, F/M, Marinette Dupain-Cheng Needs a Hug, Mental Breakdown, Mutual Pining, Post-Reveal Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-11
Updated: 2020-07-23
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:35:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,867
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25194760
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MarinetteAgresteBrand/pseuds/MarinetteAgresteBrand
Summary: Having been haunted by flashbacks of Chat Blanc, Marinette welcomes the dreams of being Adrien’s girlfriend by drawing out the vivid images. But her sweet dreams become the fuel for a living nightmare when Lila exposes her sketchbook to Adrien.LadyNoir July Days 10-15, 23-26: Breakdown / Comfort / Falling / Cuddles / Chat Blanc / In Sync / Chin Scratches / Post-reveal/Pre-relationship / Pining / Sacrifices
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Series: LadyNoir July 2020 [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1811923
Comments: 43
Kudos: 356





	1. Chat Blanc//Breakdown

When the figures of the other Ladybug and Hawkmoth crumbled like dust in the water, Ladybug’s mind raced at any and all the possibilities that could’ve led up to that point. She leapt out of the water and met the icy blue gaze of her opponent. “What did you do to them?” 

“I didn’t mean to… why won’t you try to help me fix it? The simple truth is that you don’t love me anymore, so I might as well destroy you, me, our memories… everything!” Breaking down, he was coming undone and probably meant every word.

The akuma before her could trigger the end of the world. “No!” She pleaded. 

And that’s when she realized this situation was a nightmare to him as well…

He was so in love with her that he was acting insane.

“Okay! Okay, I’ll give you my Miraculous, Chat Noir!” She was such a liar.

He withdrew his attack before shaking his head at her. “Hm… I’m not Chat Noir anymore. I’m Chat Blanc.” He tapped at his bell as if to hint at her last chance.

Ladybug walked over to him slowly and closed her eyes before placing her hands on his chest; she hated having to use such a cheap tactic like seduction. “You will always be Chat Noir to me.” Leaning in as if to kiss him one last time, she was able to snatch away his bell and free the akuma.

* * *

“Marinette, what happened?” With a pure white butterfly in hand, Chat Noir turned to her, puzzled.

Ladybug wrapped her arms around the poor kitty who endured so much for so long. “I’m gonna fix everything, Chat Noir, I promise!”

She did as she swore she would.

Ladybug never told Chat Noir about Chat Blanc.

She’d erased the divergent timeline to ensure that her Kitty would be saved from that desolate white fate.

But what’s been seen can’t be unseen when it comes to time travel.

* * *

Weeks even after their battle ended, flashbacks would wake her up, leaving her restless, too afraid to fall back asleep and fall back into a nightmare. And then she would find that morning would arrive with her feeling anything but well-rested.

So, when her dreams began to spin a tale of her actually succeeding in becoming Adrien Agreste’s girlfriend, she couldn’t help but want to enjoy the dreams while they lasted.

And they lasted.

For weeks, Marinette dreamed all sorts of wonderful dreams involving her and her beloved.

They just wouldn’t stop; so surreal, vivid as though they were more than just a wish her heart was making.

The first dream started off with Marinette seeing herself running back to her friends in such a flurry of excitement that her signature red ribbons would fall and get lost in the process.

And as her friends hugged her, congratulating her for her courage, Adrien would approach. The beret she’d made him matched perfectly with his shirt.

Her friends then shoved her toward him so that they were face to face.

“Marinette, I have something to tell you… I’ve realized… I’ve realized that you’re not just a friend to me, I’ve always felt like you were more than that..” Adrien took her hand in his, she could feel the coolness of his metal ring in contrast to his warm skin.

“Does that— does this mean that you like the beret?” She’d stutter foolishly, not knowing what could come next.

And with this most tender smile, he told her the words that she’d wanted to hear for so long. “It means I love you.”

And suddenly the world could be seen through rose-tinted glasses, everything turned a sparkling pink.

Drawing out the scene like a small comic book, Marinette smiled to herself and began to look forward to when it was time to sleep.

She dreamed of how he would hold her in his arms tightly in front of the school.

She dreamed of them dancing with other couples like Alya and Nino at a Kitty Section concert.

The dreams were happy and reinvigorating to her morale. Marinette would actually wake up early and refreshed enough to make it to school dare she say even half an hour early, giving her enough time to whip up sketches as she recollected her dreams.

* * *

Marinette happily drew in her sketchbook. Last night, she dreamed of her and Adrien sharing André’s Sweetheart ice cream.

“Nino and I are gonna grab lunch at Le Grand Paris. My mom wants some taste tasters for some new menu items.” Alya spoke, snapping Marinette out of her reverie.

“It’s gonna be awesome, dudes! You should totally come!” Nino placed a hand on Adrien’s shoulder to invite him along.

“Sorry… I’m scheduled to eat at home today.” Adrien uncharacteristically yawned. “Ah, excused me.” He spoke bashfully.

“Adrien, are you getting enough sleep?” Marinette asked, a bit concerned. A part of her felt almost guilty at how she’d been sleeping so well when the object of her affections wasn’t.

“Y-Yeah…” Quickly, Adrien averted his gaze. “Just been having these weird dreams lately— they’re nothing bad, but like…” 

“Nothing a quick cat nap can’t fix!” Marinette grinned as she securely placed her sketchbook in the back of her locker. “I was actually hoping to catch some z’s during my break too.”

“Maybe…” He spoke, unsure.

“Guess we’ll take a rain check then.” Alya sighed to Nino before dragging him off.

A text notification appeared on Adrien’s phone, indicating that his bodyguard was outside with the car. “Yeah, catch you guys later.” He ran off, his eyes cast downward the whole time.

* * *

Marinette went home as fast as she could, eager to enter dreamland and uncover whatever sort of wishful fantasy her mind could cook up.

That afternoon, she dreamed that she and Adrien’s relationship would go public.

 ****_“It’s heartbreak for all the girls in Paris as supermodel Adrien Agreste now has a girlfriend, classmate Marinette Dupain-Cheng.”_ Nadja Chamack announced the news.

The beautiful image of her and Adrien walking down the red carpet together, hand in hand wearing her designs burned into her memory.

Marinette awoke from her nap with a heartfelt giggle wishing her dream could come true. Taking note of her bed-head, Marinette gazed at the mirror in her vanity before pulling off her red hair ties. There was one thing that threw Marinette for a loop when she thought back on her dreams. Her hair was never up in its signature pigtails. Today’s dream featured her wearing her hair in a bun, but before then, her hair had always been worn down.

The Adrien of her dreams seemed to love her hair down.

Blushing at the thought, Marinette ran her hand through her locks and wondered if such a simple change in appearance could be enough to capture his attention.

“Marinette…”

“Marinette…”

“Marinette, you’re going to be late!” Tikki huffed.

Marinette took note of the time and shot up out of her seat. “Oh no, no no!” Despite having a free period next, Marinette didn’t want to start falling back into her old habits. Before she had time to put her hair back up, she bolted out of the bakery. 

* * *

Marinette made it back in time just as the bell rang and gave a sigh of relief as she rested her hands on her knees, thinking she was safe.

However when she finally caught her breath, she lifted up her head to see Lila leaning into Adrien, insisting he “take a stand” of sorts.

“And there’s the culprit herself!” Lila spoke with flourish, as if she were accusing Marinette of being some sort of criminal.

“Lila, there’s no need for you to—”

“But Adrien, what she did is _wrong_!” Lila asserted as she turned to Marinette. “What do you have to say for yourself, Marinette?”

With crocodile tears in Lila’s eyes ready to flow at the drop of a hat, Marinette suddenly felt herself getting sick to her stomach, her voice getting caught in her throat.

She was so confused.

Lila had trapped her in something, but she didn’t yet know...

“What?” Marinette tried to keep her voice even. “What is it that you’re accusing me of now?”

“This is yours, isn’t it?” Lila pointed to the overly-decorated sketchbook, one that screamed that it belonged to none other than the one and only Marinette Dupain-Cheng.

“How did you even get that!?” Furrowing her brows, she marched over. “Did you steal it from my locker!?”

“I found it lying on the floor in the locker room!” Lila sneered. “I had wanted to return it to its rightful owner, but had to open it to find a clue as to who it belonged to.” A definite lie. “Imagine my surprise when I found what I did, drawings of you making Adrien live out some sort of romantic fantasy with you as his partner!” She flipped open the pages. “Don’t you know it’s inappropriate to do something like this without the other party’s consent? Celebrities hate that sort of thing! I didn’t know you were the type—"

“Wait, Lila, there must be some sort of misunderstanding here…” Alya bit her bottom lip, trying to figure out how to best defend Marinette.

“What sort of explanation could there possibly be?” Lila challenged before looking to the rest of the class who seemed to not want to get involved.

It wasn’t exactly the biggest secret in the world that Marinette Dupain-Cheng had a crush on Adrien Agreste.

In fact, everyone knew except for Adrien. The class erupted in a fit of murmurs, knowing full well that they had at times attempted to aid Marinette in her attempts at confessing.

But when hushed whispers that what she had done was borderline creepy began to escalate, something in Marinette began to crack and fall crooked—her façade.

Marinette’s lips began to quiver, her entire body began to shake, her palms feeling clammy as she balled them in and out of fists. It was taking everything in her not to just strangle the bitch. 

“Dude… it’s still not cool to have called her out in front of the whole class!” Nino took a stand. “Marinette drew some pictures, so what? It’s not like they’re explicit!”

Lila gasped, acting offended at how he was not easily swayed. “But look at how uncomfortable Adrien looks!”

Adrien had been staring at the sketchbook, completely deaf to Lila’s words, eyes locked onto the drawings in absolute silence.

“See! He’s in shock! You should apologize!” Lila crooned. “Actually, there’s no way an apology would even be enough!”

Marinette clenched her hands into fists, her mouth felt dry, making it hard for her to speak. “But I—”

“After all, Adrien’s in love with someone else! So, it’s not like he feels the same way about you—” Lila slammed her hand down against the sketchbook in Adrien’s hands, making him snap out of his daze. “Isn’t that right, Adrien?”

And that’s when Marinette realized… what Lila just said wasn’t a lie.

Adrien had told her before… that he was in love with another girl.

And suddenly that fact felt like a twist of a knife in her gut.

She was so happy living in dreamland that she’d forgotten that the real Adrien...

“Um…” Adrien looked uncomfortable, rubbing the back of his neck like he was unsure of what to say. “I don’t—”

The real Adrien wasn't in love with her…

And all at once, it felt like everything Marinette had built up was crashing down. She didn’t even see it coming; it was the worst possible way for her crush on Adrien to be revealed.

Tears in her eyes, Marinette turned and ran away as fast as she could, as far as her legs would take her.

* * *

Sobbing, Marinette silently wailed as she exited the school. “This can’t be happening! Someone please tell me this isn’t real!” She was feeling herself struggling to breath between her tears. She had wanted to reach home, but with all that had happened, she only made it as far as the park before collapsing behind the statue of Ladybug and Chat Noir. “Tikki, please tell me this is all just a sick, twisted dream…”

“Oh, Marinette…” Swiftly, Tikki flew out of Marinette’s purse and began to pat her holder’s bangs in an attempt to sympathize with the situation. “I’m so, so sorry…”

Marinette spoke through her sniffles. “This is…” she was starting to hiccup, “the absolutely worst, Tikki!” She never thought her drawings could be exposed; she thought them to be completely harmless, but now… now her happy dreams had become fuel for a nightmarish reality. “Because of Lila—” She clutched her head, gripping at her hair which flowed freely like her tears. Her heart was breaking; she never even had a chance to confess her truth. “Adrien knows and—”

No matter how Marinette looked at it, this situation had no justice at all…

Her mind screamed that it was all Lila’s fault, not hers.

She’d been careful, she’d been harmless…

Well, perhaps she wouldn’t be from now on.

And suddenly, Marinette felt something inside her completely snap. “Lila’s not going to get away with this…”

“Marinette, Marinette!” Tikki whispered her pleas. “I’m sorry, but you need to calm down or else—”

“Or else?” Marinette felt her anger rising, along with the feeling of dread. “Or else what?” Marinette snarled as more tears rolled down her cheeks; she was in the middle of having a breakdown.

“Or else that!” Tikki screamed as she pointed behind her.

At the sight of a little black butterfly, the onset of her fears transitioned into a full blown panic. She found herself running again, the akuma giving chase. It was a close call, but she was barely able to find a place to transform before hastily capturing it.

She could have almost been akumatized… _again._

Gripping at her chest,with the pain showing no sign of disappearing, Marinette forced herself to calm down.

It wasn’t fair, but she couldn’t risk her feelings getting the better of her.

Swallowing her pride, Ladybug ceased her crying, because she knew that when it came to butterflies...

Where there was one, there would be a swarm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The reality is that memories of the alternate timeline are coming to Marinette in the form of dreams.


	2. Comfort//Cuddles and Chin Scratches

Being a hero was not without its perks at times. Marinette, as Ladybug, along with Chat Noir had access to all sorts of places around the city that they could only ever dream of entering after hours as civilians. Often used as a meeting spot for patrols was the covert apartment built up on the very top of the Eiffel Tower; Marinette decided that today it would be used as her safe haven.

Ladybug sat within the apartment, holding herself as she cried in silence. As she gazed through the glass and looked down at the City of Lights, she listened for the fluttering of butterfly wings. Since she’d locked herself atop of the tall tower, she’d purified at least three more akumas. A pained laugh escaped her lips at how relentlessly Hawkmoth sent them for her.

Unfortunately for her enemies, Marinette’s raging emotions of sadness and resentment were beginning to fade just like the colors of the sky. Holding back a sigh after having meditated, she opened up a window and sucked in a deep breath. The cool air filled her lungs and just when she finally thought she had gotten herself together, the tears burst forth all at once and between silent screams, darkness overtook her.

* * *

“Adrien, you wouldn’t believe what I found!” When Lila began talking, Adrien resisted the urge to just beg her to leave him alone.

Adrien was exhausted from sleep-deprivation, but knew he had to entertain the notion of being Lila’s _friend_. “What is it, Lila?” He resisted the urge to yawn; he’d gotten a catnap in like Marinette had suggested, but today’s dream had him on edge.

Lila lifted up what looked to be a sketchbook, one decorated with Marinette’s signature flower design; he was about to ask how she’d gotten a hold of it when she spoke once more. “Marinette’s been drawing pictures of the two of you as a couple!”

“M-Marinette and I, uh- a _couple_?” That got his attention, his voice adopting a more nervously defensive tone. “But we’re just friends—” 

Nino and Alya entered the classroom, too engrossed in each other to take notice of what was going on.

“Right, _just friends_.” Lila’s eyes narrowed. “You’ve told me before that you like a different girl, right?”

“I did, but—”

“Then you need to take a stand, Adrien!” Lila urged as the school bell began to ring.

Marinette shot through the door in a frenzy, placing her hands on her knees to catch her breath.

“And there’s the culprit herself!” Lila spoke with a flourish as she turned her attention to the girl door.

“Lila, there’s no need for you to—” Adrien suddenly found his voice caught in his throat at the sight of Marinette; her hair was down and she looked beautiful…

He tried to look away, but when he finally managed to, his mind raced back to the vibrantly animated dreams he’d been having.

The ones that would have him waking up at ungodly hours and leave him unable to fall back asleep.

The ones of a world where he and Marinette were in love…

Fluttering before his eyes were images that matched those of his picturesque dreams. Without reservation, Adrien stared at the drawings in the sketchbook in awe.

The pictures and comics played out exactly the same way they had in his dreams.

It was then when he began to wonder… Was Marinette having the same dreams… and if so, why?

Lila slammed her hand down against the sketchbook in Adrien’s hands, making him snap out of his daze. “Isn’t that right, Adrien?”

“Um…” Adrien began to rub the back of his neck, unsure of what to say; he honestly hadn’t heard a word of what she said until now. If he were being honest, he couldn’t deny that his dreams were beginning to affect him in real life. He’d become hyperaware of Marinette and her even more bubbly demeanor. “I don’t—” Adrien didn’t know what he wanted to say, but before he could even finish, Marinette bolted out of the classroom. “Ah— Marinette?” Adrien shot out of his seat to give chase. “Marinette, wait!” He called out to her at the door frame, but she was gone.

Furrowing his brows, he began to hear how the situation at hand had become the focus of the class.

“Poor Marinette…” Rose whispered to her girlfriend.

“That was not awesome…” Juleka muttered.

Mylène blanched slightly. “I think Marinette misheard us.”

“Yeah…” Ivan downcast his gaze.

“I mean, normally you’d find that sort of thing creepy, but…” Alix began.

“But this is Marinette we’re talking about, there’s a zero percent chance she meant any harm by it.” Max pushed up his glasses.

“I’ve done the same thing, drawing pictures of Marinette back when I had a crush on her!” Nathaniel stood from his seat, slamming his pencil against the desk. “Exposing her sketchbook was low, Lila!”

“I know I saw Marinette put her sketchbook in the back of her locker earlier!” Nino frowned at her. “Stealing her stuff wasn’t cool, dude!” 

“Is Dupain-Cheng’s crush on Adrikins that much of a shock?” Chloé scoffed slightly. “Everyone but Adrikins knew about it!”

“Chloé’s right!” Sabrina agreed.

“Lila! Why would you do something like this!?” Alya gritted her teeth slightly, finally seeing how Marinette wasn’t just exaggerating when it came to how Lila seemed to want to sabotage her. The sketchbook straight up had the initials MDC written on the cover along with Marinette’s signature flower design. 

Lila suddenly began to feel herself sweat. “W-What? Why are you taking her side? No matter how you look at it, she shouldn’t be—”

Adrien’s eyes turned cold as he looked to Lila. “If it were anyone other than Marinette then maybe I would have a problem!” He suddenly realized that what he was saying was a truth he had been trying to avoid for weeks. Because the only girl he could truly ever dream of being with was... “Marinette…”

* * *

After classes had ended, Adrien pleaded with his bodyguard who allowed him to drop by the Dupain-Cheng bakery to check up on Marinette— she hadn’t answered his calls or texts. To his horror, he came to find that she never went home. With a foreboding feeling of dread weighing him down in the pit of his stomach, he quickly transformed into Chat Noir to search for her after having gotten home.

He checked all of her usual hang outs: Notre Dame, the Louvre Palace, the Champs-Élysées, the Trocadéro. They were her favorite places, where she’d go to find inspiration. Although after a few hours, he realized that she probably wouldn’t be at any of those places if her sketchbook was in his possession.

While he was glad that there weren’t any signs of an akuma on the loose, it still didn’t sit well with him that he hadn’t found her. He had thought to contact Ladybug in the beginning, but decided against it hoping that he didn't have to burden her with anything else. Glancing at his baton, the GPS showed that Ladybug was at the Eiffel Tower, Marinette’s favorite monument. He thought it was finally time to ask for help.

* * *

“Miss Dupain-Cheng, your relationship with my son is detrimental to the _Gabriel Agreste_ brand, I demand you stop seeing him at once.” Gabriel Agreste’s voice echoed from the tablet in his assistant’s possession.

“But I didn’t do anything…” Marinette had tried to argue that she did nothing wrong, just like she had with Lila, only for her pleas to fall upon deaf ears.

“She loves Adrien and Adrien loves her! You can’t—” Her father and mother fully supported their relationship, just like they always had.

“If you refuse, I will not hesitate to withdraw Adrien from school and he will never see his friends again.” It was a wonder how Adrien’s father could be so cruel.

Marinette dropped everything at the threat, feeling her body jolt in shock, her heart sinking to her stomach. “Adrien doesn’t deserve this!”

“Then make the right choice.” He’d made his demands.

She was quick to cry, knowing Adrien’s freedom meant everything to him, Marinette’s heart fell into disarray as she focused her resolve.

If you love someone, set them free.

And so, that’s what she told herself she’d do.

* * *

Ladybug awoke from her nightmare disoriented. She’d fallen asleep and found herself lying on a couch in the apartment atop the tower. Fear overtook her as her eyes frantically searched for any signs of an akuma.

She tried to gather her thoughts, make sense of the nightmare.

She loved Adrien.

She loved him too much.

And that love she held so dearly was beginning to hurt her.

A part of her wondered if it was best that she give up...

Another part of her hated herself for even thinking it.

The sudden thumping sound against the railing snapped Ladybug out of her self-loathing. Looking out the window, she was surprised to meet the green-eyed gaze of her partner. “Chat Noir…” She whispered his name and immediately ran toward him.

His eyes widened when he saw her. Reaching his hand out, he then paused when she flinched. “What happened, Ladybug… what’s wrong?” He approached slowly, waiting for her to give some sort of signal that she was okay with him trying to get closer.

Ladybug leaned her upper half out of the window, her lips parting slightly, breath visible against the frigid night air. “Chat Noir…” And in the blink of an eye, she’d leapt out of the apartment and into his arms. “Chat Noir!” She cried out his name before burying her face into his chest.

Shocked at her actions, it took a good few seconds for Adrien to process that his beloved was in need of comfort. Gently lifting her up into his arms, he leapt up to the roof of the apartment so that she could better get some air. Holding her tight, Chat Noir remained silent, just smoothly patting her hair and rubbing her back with circular motions. “It’s okay, Ladybug… I’m here.”

Ladybug’s lips quivered as she slowly pulled back. Taking in a deep breath, she finally met his gaze, eyes a gateway into the soul. “Chat Noir… I just was almost akumatized.” She’d confessed her truth to him and watched as his body became rigid before slowly swallowing a lump in his throat.

“My Lady…” He suddenly began to grit his teeth. “I’m sorry…” He whispered, not knowing what else to say.

A pained smile tugged at Ladybug’s mouth as she placed a hand on his blond hair. “You don’t remember…” She clenched her eyes shut before deciding to admit another truth. “You never became akumatized because I stopped it from ever happening, but I...” She felt his hand take hers. “But I do… and it was the worst feeling!” She clutched at her chest with her freehand, remembering how she almost gave in. “It already almost happened once before… I remembered, Chat Noir… I was going to be called Princess Justice...” A hollow laugh escaped her lips as she looked up at him with the most heartbreaking expression. “Chat Noir, if I ever become akumatized, please…”

He pulled her back into his arms, holding her tight. “It won’t happen… I won’t _ever_ let that happen.” He began to whisper a vow. “ _I swear_ , Ladybug.”

Ladybug clutched at his suit, nodding just slight as the tears rolled down her cheeks once more. Part of her wanted to tell him not to make empty promises, but still found comfort in his words nonetheless. “Don’t leave me…”

“I won’t!” Chat Noir never could, not like this. “I’m here for you, My Lady.”

Blinking back the tears, Ladybug allowed herself to get lost in his warmth. “Hmm…” Burying her face into his shoulder, she inhaled his scent and realized she enjoyed it. He almost smelled like Adrien, she wondered if he wore the same fragrance.

Eventually though, they had to pull apart.

And as she looked into his eyes, it somehow felt like she was looking at him for the first time.

And all at once the tension began to wither.

“Thank you, Chaton.”

He cupped her hands in his and brought them to his lips to kiss them, as if to whisper a silent vow. “I swear, I’d do anything to protect you, My Lady…”

Despite the issue not having really been resolved, Marinette felt some of the weight lift off of her shoulders. “Sometimes you do too much to try and protect me...”

“I want to do more...” Chat Noir tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “Why didn’t you contact me? I would’ve come for you… I...” Suddenly biting his bottom lip with a wince, he realized that what he just said was a lie as he wondered… would he truly drop everything and rush to her side when Marinette was also hurting?

“I... I don’t know. It all happened so fast!” Ladybug shook her head slightly before turning around, taking deep breaths in and out. “I was afraid that if I broke down in front of you I might end up revealing something about myself that I shouldn’t.” She hugged herself with a groan before she felt him rest his hands on her shoulders and begin to massage them, the feeling sinfully good as she began to relax at his touch. “That feels wonderful...”

“I’m glad...” Staring at her from behind, Chat Noir’s mind began to race as he for a moment felt as if he was staring at Marinette, their hairstyles were so similar. He shifted his gaze away and he suddenly remembered how when he last saw Marinette, her hair was down like how she wore it in his dreams. He snapped out of his daze when he felt Ladybug’s back rest against his chest. His heart began to beat wildly. “Can I cuddle you?” He suddenly found himself blurting out.

A true laugh almost escaped Ladybug’s lips at his sudden question. While the feeling of cuddling would be nice, it was something she had only dreamed of doing with Adrien. “Is there a platonic way to cuddle, Chaton?”

“Sure there is!” He answered all too quickly, a small blush on his face as he crawled his way in front of her, arms planted on the surface beside either side of her hips.

Ladybug raised a brow at him, skeptical. “This I’ve gotta see.”

A Cheshire grin graced her Kitty’s features as he leaned toward her, his breath close enough for her to feel against her lips before moving toward her neck. She stiffened slightly as he inhaled her scent, an almost primal rumble radiating from his throat. He began to trail downward, never quite touching her body. “It looks just like...” And suddenly he collapsed himself into her lap. “This!” He snuggled his face against her stomach and began to purr. “Pat away, My Lady!” He grasped one of her hands and placed it against his head.

The faintest hint of pink painted her cheeks before she suddenly began roaring with laughter. “What are—” she wheezed a second, “you talking about?” Burying her hands within his blond locks, Ladybug began to ruffle them in every which direction.

A small chuckle erupted from the black cat as she then started to give him chin scratches. “Science says that petting your cat can reduce stress!” He leaned into her touch, particularly liking those.

“Oh? Oh yeah?” She snorted, starting to feel it work. “Can’t argue with science, now can we?”

Relieved his Lady was starting to feel better, a small smile graced Chat Noir’s lips as he tried to enjoy the peace and quiet of the moment. With the stars twinkling behind her, she was more radiant than ever.

But deep in his heart the guilt was still eating at him, because while he stood by his Lady, he still had no way of knowing if his Princess was safe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cuddling your kitty relieves stress!  
> It particularly helps if he's a handsome little fluffer too!


	3. Falling//In Sync

When more than just a few muffled yawns escaped from the heroes, they knew it was about time to head home.

“Thank you for this, Chat Noir...” Ladybug removed her hands from his blond hair and helped him sit up. “I’m feeling better now...” And while she was, Marinette could only hope that whatever happened in class would be forgotten over the weekend.

“Are you sure, My Lady?” Chat Noir asked, wanting to be absolutely pawsitive.

“Yes... I… I promise.” No further butterflies showed up since her partner appeared and for that she was thankful. Finally ready to take her leave, she took note of how he seemed to suddenly appear a bit fidgety. “Chat Noir... was there something weighing on your mind?”

“Marinette...” He whispered the name making Ladybug suddenly stop in her tracks.

Ladybug felt her heart pounding in fear that he may have known who she was. “You...” 

“It’s Marinette...” He clarified. “Earlier, I— I think something may have happened to her earlier. I was out looking for her since she wasn’t home last I checked... I came to the Eiffel Tower wanting to ask for your help, but...”

At his words, she suddenly felt her heart rate calm. “You... you really care about her, huh?”

“Of course!” He didn’t even know he was blushing. “She’s an amazing person and a... uh... a really good friend!” He didn’t want to admit that he was starting to see her as something more than that.

Ladybug found herself smiling brightly at his words. “The Dupain-Cheng bakery is on my way home. I’ll check up on her for you and shoot you a message after, okay?”

It took him a moment to agree, but knew he couldn’t risk seeing the path Ladybug took home. “Okay... purromise?” He extended his pinky out to her.

Ladybug’s expression softened at the gesture. Entwining her pinky with his, she made a solemn vow. “I promise, Chat Noir. I won’t rest until she’s safe.”

* * *

Ladybug kept her promise to Chat Noir and sent him a message that Marinette was doing just fine, making sure to let him know that Marinette was also thankful for his concern.

Marinette had been somewhat honest with her parents about what happened at school, that she was almost akumatized, but Ladybug kept her safe by purifying all of the butterflies that came her way. While her parents would’ve appreciated a text or two ahead of time, they were mostly relieved to see her come home safe and sound.

It took a lot of courage for her to peek at her phone, but when she did, she was relieved if not ecstatic to find out that her classmates had defended her against Lila. 

Nino completely had her back saying he knew for a fact that she had put her sketchbook in the back of her locker.

Nathaniel expressed his complete disgust for Lila’s actions toward a fellow artist.

Alya apologized for how she didn’t always take Marinette’s side when it came to Lila and mentioned how she would be more weary of the girl’s claims from now on.

The messages went on and on, but were all a positive influence on her morale.

Despite how much of a mess the day had turned out to be, it reminded Marinette to know that tomorrow would be a brand new day.

She’d also missed multiple calls and texts from Adrien, asking if she was okay and apologizing for looking through her sketchbook.

He’d asked if she wanted to talk about it; she didn’t and it was late anyway.

At the moment, she wanted nothing more than to fall into that addictive dreamland where she could be happy with Adrien.

She loved Adrien and wanted him to hear her true feelings, even if reality wouldn’t play out like her dreams.

Marinette prayed one last time, that before it all came to an end, that she and the Adrien of her dreams would be happy.

* * *

The next thing Marinette dreamed was herself approaching the gates of the Agreste mansion. The afternoon sky was a stormy grey, mirroring her heart and threatening a downpour much like how her tears threatened to spill down her cheeks.

“Marinette? Why won’t you come in? Adrien asked from the door.

Her hands were trembling, it was physically painful to have to break both their hearts. “Adrien… I… forgive me, we’re just— we’re just not right for each other.”

“What are you talking about? Of course we are, we love each other.” He sounded so sure of it.

It was true, she loved him, and their relationship was nothing short of an everyday miracle.

It was painful to lie... but sometimes lies were necessary…

Even in her dreams, she would find herself making sacrifices, placing Adrien’s happiness above her own.

“No! I… I don’t love you… anymore!” She forced herself to say the opposite of what she felt and left in tears.

Collapsing onto the subway steps, tears rolled down her face while her heart raged in utter despair. She didn’t know what to do next, didn’t know how to feel, the only thing she knew was that she had to...

“Marinette, **_move_**!”

She’d heard him call her name. “Adrien?” She wondered if he’d chased after her.

Turning around, she gasped in shock when she heard a phrase she never once imagined would ever leave his mouth.

_“Plagg! Claws Out!”_

Black magic swirled around him and she felt her heart just stop.

He risked his identity and transformed right in front of her!

“Cataclysm!” Right before the little black butterfly could reach her, he reached out his hand to swipe it from the sky. 

“Adrien!” She whispered his name as she came face to face with Chat Noir.

Crumbling at his touch, the akuma withered into dust as Adrien’s gaze softened with reassurance. “You were about to be akumatized… I didn’t have a choice, My Lady.”

“My Lady… but how did you know? I thought our identities were supposed to remain a secret!” Dropping her treasured umbrella, she launched herself right into his arms.

Chat Noir held her tight. “Everything will be okay, I promise.”

* * *

Marinette found herself waking up at the crack of dawn in tears.

Swiftly, she transformed and left out the window, racing to the Eiffel Tower for solace.

"Things were purrfect between us until..." She whispered the words of Chat Blanc.

_“Save me...”_

She remembered how he cried and pleaded for salvation. Ladybug then looked up at the moon, her mind flashing back to how it looked when she found Chat Blanc.

With the moon broken in half in that world, the gravitational tilt must’ve affected the tide and caused a flood that destroyed the city, if not the world.

_“It was our love that did this to the world, My Lady."_

Chat Blanc wanted her Miraculous so he could undo some big mistake...

Just what was the mistake he spoke of? Just what did he have to endure before she came to save him?

Ladybug knew it was useless to wonder; she’d placed their destiny back on the right course...

_“My wish.. would be to fix everything so we could be in love again...”_

Her heart hurt, but for an entirely different reason. “My poor Kitty...” She whispered before burying her face in her arms. A few more tears burned down her face; she was so damn tired of crying. The entire situation was exhausting her, throwing her heart into disarray. It wasn’t fair.

Because if Chat Noir was Adrien then...

If Chat Noir was Adrien then... her love for him could only grow.

* * *

_“Little kitty on a roof, all alone without his lady…”_

There was a sudden chill in the air that made her blood run cold as that eerie melody began to taunt her senses. 

“Chat...” Shooting her head upward, she narrowed down the source of the sound to be coming from somewhere a few beams below her.

Fearing the worst, Ladybug used her yoyo to slowly descend down the tower. It was when she reached the second tier that she saw him, the black of his suit a stark contrast to the light of daybreak. “Chat Noir?” As he turned to meet her gaze, her body flooded with a feeling of relief to see his eyes weren’t an icy blue. “What are you doing here... didn’t you go home?”

“Ladybug?” Surprised to see her again so soon, he slowly got up to approach her. “I... I woke up too early and I... I couldn’t fall back asleep... decided to get some air...” He then took note of her tears. “My Lady, why are you crying?”

Lifting a hand to her cheek, Ladybug realized that her tears were still streaming down her face. “I’m sorry... I don’t get what came over me.”

Gently, Chat Noir secured his arms beneath her knees before pulling her toward him.

After releasing the string of her yoyo, she placed her arms on his shoulders and gazed down into his green eyes.

The most gorgeous green eyes could be hidden behind the mask...

He held her in his arms a little tighter. “Ladybug, why are you crying again?”

“I had a nightmare...” Her lips quivered. “I’d been having these dreams for weeks...” Gripping his shoulders a little harder, she made a motion for him to put her down. 

“I... I can kind of understand that...” Chat Noir sat back down, gently placing Ladybug on his lap. “Do you want to talk about it...?”

“We shouldn’t but...” Ladybug bit her bottom lip. “I think... we need to?”

Chat Noir tilted her chin upward to look into her bluebell eyes... those all too familiar eyes. “Ma— My Lady...”

“Chat Blanc...” She immediately closed her eyes and pulled away, looking physically pained. “That’s what you were called when you were akumatized... It all started with him... the you from a different timeline.”

Chat Noir listened, he listened to her story, horrified to hear what she had to go through on her own, how her one and only partner had become the most dangerous opponent... how he could have fallen under Hawkmoth’s thall and become her worst enemy... 

“For so many weeks, Chat Blanc would invade my dreams and turn them into nightmares...” Ladybug’s tears were finally subsiding. “Tortured, I’d lose so many hours of sleep over it until suddenly, one night, I began to dream what I thought to be a different story...” She swallowed painfully hard. “I’d been having these dreams that the boy I’ve loved for so long finally returned my feelings...” Ladybug looked down at her hands which rested in her lap, she suddenly began to clench them together. “And I was so happy until... until it had to end...”

Chat Noir’s lips pressed into a thin line for a moment before he placed his hands over hers. Eventually he spoke, his voice but a faint whisper. “Me too...”

Ladybug stiffened slightly before slowly shifting her eyes to meet his. “You... too... what?”

Chat Noir began to grit his teeth as he dropped his gaze. “I've been having these incessant dreams lately... ones where I’m dating one of my classmates and I, for the life of me, couldn’t figure out why when... when I’m in love with you! She’s supposed to just be a friend, but the me of my dreams was so in love...” He sucked in a deep breath before finding the courage to admit the truth. “I found myself scared… fearing that I was really falling in love with her... that maybe I could be happy dating her... and then last night... I had dreamed that she... that she broke my heart and I couldn’t let her go...” He felt her place a hand to his cheek and he leaned into her touch, grief evident on his face.

_“It can’t end like this! It can’t end at all! I love her!”_

“Why...?” Ladybug asked, despite being afraid of what she might hear. “Why couldn’t you?”

“I couldn’t let her go because... because she... because she was you, My Lady...” He gazed at her, the look in his eye somewhat hopeful that they’d been dreaming in sync.

And suddenly Ladybug found herself crying again, only this time they were tears of... happiness?

"I've been having dreams that the boy beneath the mask is the same boy I've been in love with...” Cupping his face in her hands, she leaned forward so that their foreheads were touching. “I know it’s strange... and it's probably just my mind is just playing tricks on me... but could it be possible that all this time, you’ve been the boy of my dreams?” Despite the glittering tears streaming down her face, Ladybug was smiling as brightly as the sun that began to rise above them. “Chat Noir... could it be possible that you're Adrien Agreste?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so I shit you guys not, I planned to end it like that.  
> Just. like. that.  
> Open ended.  
> With her straight up just asking Chat Noir if he was Adrien.  
> But then I actually started to feel guilty with all the subs so now this mini-fic is going to end like the trash it is in the next chapter. LMAO.


	4. Pining//Sacrifice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This final chapter is dedicated to Cookie_Crumble who told me she'd be frustrated if I just ended it on that cliffhanger.  
> ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

Knowing each other’s identities completely changed the dynamic between Ladybug and Chat Noir, Adrien Agreste and Marinette Dupain-Cheng.

They had to question whether they were lucky or unlucky.

Because while they finally knew who the other was... they couldn’t be together.

Well, at least not officially.

* * *

Come Monday morning, Marinette walked into the classroom with at least five minutes to spare. Her hair was no longer in pigtails, but instead cascading down her shoulders; Adrien thought she looked like a dream.

“Good morning, My Prince.” Spoke Marinette softly as she took her seat in the front row, beside Adrien.

Adrien took her hand in his and kissed the inside of her wrist. “Good morning, My Princess.” He murmured against her skin before flashing her a dazzling smile.

“Those two are so cute!” Rose squealed.

“Awesome...” Juleka spoke in agreement.

“Ridiculous!” Chloé huffed. “Utterly ridiculous!”

“I don’t get it, so you’re _not dating_?” Alya furrowed her brows.

“Nope…” Marinette answered, a small blush on her face as she gave a sheepish smile. She then ruffled the front of Adrien’s hair out of its signature style, making it look more wild and free. “Our feelings are just out in the open... mine and Adrien’s.”

Nino pulled his cap over his head in second-hand embarrassment at their behavior. “But you two totally look like you’re dating!”

They’d told all their friends that they had a talk about what had happened over the weekend and that things between them were better than ever!

“My father wouldn’t approve of me dating anyone.” Adrien sighed at the excuse he had to use. “But purrhaps one day...” Pulling Marinette into his arms, he began to cuddle her.

His sudden embrace elicited a cute squeak from the girl. “A-Adrien!” She blushed as she clutched at his shirt. “N-Not at school!”

“If not at school then where?” He pouted as he settled for wrapping his arm around her shoulder as she sat back up.

“Oh, now don’t pout!” Marinette giggled as she began to give him chin scratches. 

Adrien almost found himself purring at her touch and so forced himself to pull away. “Not at school!” He whimpered, wishing he didn’t have to be so responsible. 

“If not at school where?” She parroted with a teasing smirk. 

The two could feel Lila fuming from behind them and continued to flirt without a care in the world, although they would send an occasional sneer in her direction when the others weren’t looking.

Adrien began to braid at Marinette’s hair, her loose locks like silk against his fingers. “Your dark-as-night hair is beautiful, Princess.” Securing her hair with a little green paw print patterned ribbon, he was reminded of Lady Noire.

“W-Well your hair shines like the sun!” Marinette’s cheeks tinged a little pinker at his gift. “That beret you’re wearing looks particularly nice too.”

“Oh this?” Adrien chuckled as he motioned to it. “It was a gift from my fanclub in Brazil! I’m quite fond of it.”

“O-Oh yeah?” Marinette whispered as she stared right into his eyes. “What else are you fond of?”

Taking her hand in his, beneath the desk, Adrien’s gorgeous green eyes twinkled with mischief.

* * *

Chat Noir was fond of kisses in secret.

Ladybug adored lying beneath the stars after rooftop not-dates.

Adrien was thankful for Marinette and the delectable pastries she’d bake to completely ruin his model diet.

Marinette looked forward to Adrien’s wake up call every morning.

Knowing it could mean the end of the world, Marinette and Adrien, Ladybug and Chat Noir decided that they would have to wait until Hawkmoth was defeated before taking the next step in their relationship.

They knew as heroes they’d have to make sacrifices.

Keep a few more secrets.

For now, the time(line) they spent together as a couple would only exist in the world of dreams and what-ifs.

But that didn’t mean they couldn’t try harder to make their reality different, make it even better.

And so, they’d pine for each other awhile longer.

But they knew they would be okay.

Because they had each other.

Because they could spend more time falling further, deeper, and truer in love with all sides of their partner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promised this fic would be trash and it did. LOL  
> I also realized I missed the opportunity to call it "The Time(line) We Slept Together."  
> 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to Khanofallorcs for beta reading this series!


End file.
